First off, let me apoligize to all of you for the delay between entries. Life spoke to me of needs that weren't being met, and threatened to play a game of "Confuse the coroner," with me should I continue down that path.

Now, on to business.

In a so-called enlightened society, we are told that it is important to respect the differences of our fellow human beings. It is important, they say, to understand that every individual has the right to his/her own opinion. Some choose a life filled with learning and knowledge while some choose a simple life, not worrying about the complexities of the world and focusing instead upon the common, everyday joys of taking in and expunging oxygen. Everyone has the choice of paths. One, we are told, is just as good as another, because people are different. Everyone finds what makes them happy and just because what makes us happy doesn't fill them with joy, or because what fills them with extasy doesn't necessarily turn our crank, we must respect their right to choose.

If you'll excuse a slight indelicacy; if you'll allow me a moment of vulgarity; that eats poo-poo.

Maybe, maybe, in the beginning, this was a good idea. In the beginning, before we saw the whole spectrum of cruelty capable of a human being, before we experienced such things as the Inquisition, before we were introduced to a particular Austrian house painter with visions of racial purity, before we saw what the British colonialists were capable of in South Africa, then, MAYBE, it was a good idea.

But all of the above give ample evidence as to what happens when ignorance is allowed go its own way, doing whatever makes it happy. Every war in the past two thousand years has had its roots in religion. And while, yes, there are other underlying factors such as land or enmity or, more recently, oil, the root of all evil is, "My god is better than your god. My god's better than yours."--everbody sing along now--"My god's better, cuz he gives great salvation. My god's better than yours!"

I hate that fucking song.

Ignorance is the root of all hatred. Ignorance is the root of all intolerance. Religion is the root of ignorance. (God said it, I believe it and that settles it.) Hmmmm. When anything which requires faith is taken as perfect truth, bad things follow.

Therefore, in direct contravention of the accepted mantra, I say that everyone does indeed NOT have the right to their own opinion.

Everyone has the right to their own INFORMED opinion.

And to say that no one is better than anyone else? Piddle. Ghandi was certainly better than Hitler. (You want my opinion, the man was a humanist hiding under a blanket.) Clinton was much better than Bush. Any EMT is better than any Wall Street Banker.

And yes, I am better than you.

Joseph Haines, signing off from the Edge of The Abyss